Andrew Edwards Takes Another Step

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Andrew Edwards has gone from a 19th-round pick in 2013 to being added to the Royals’ 40-man roster.

A fastball that has touched 100 mph and a combined 10.9 strikeouts per nine innings at Double-A and Triple-A in 2016 earned Edwards the spot.

“His fastball is in the mid-to-upper 90s,” Royals vice president J.J. Picollo said. “His slider is his best secondary pitch and (he) uses a changeup as well. His stuff is tremendous. He’s done a good job repeating his delivery and that is an area he needs to continue his improvement.”

Edwards began last season with Double-A Northwest Arkansas and dominated the Texas League. He struck out 23 and walked four in 18 innings, while allowing one earned run. After striking out four of the six Arkansas batters he faced in a May 9 save to lower his ERA to 0.50, Edwards was promoted to Triple-A Omaha.

He struck out five of the six batters he faced in two spotless innings on May 12 in his Pacific Coast League debut. Edwards finished 0-1. 5.40 with five saves ERA in 32 games with Omaha. He struck out 51 (10.59 per nine innings) and walked 29 in 43.1 innings.

Edwards, a 6-foot-6, 260-pound right-hander who was a starter at Western Kentucky, is working on improving his command.

“It’s just like repeating mechanics, you’re always working on command and keeping the ball down in the zone,” Edwards said. “It’s one of the things I’ve been working on a lot.”

Edwards also needs to be more effective against lefthanded hitters. In the PCL, he held righthanders to a .234 average and a .364 slugging percentage, but lefthanders hit .328/.487/.603 in 79 plate appearances.

Edwards, 25, will likely return to Omaha to start the 2017 season, but if he shows consistency he could join the Kansas City bullpen sometime during season.

ROYALTIES

• The Royals acquired righthander Jared Ruxer from the Angels for righthander Brooks Pounders. Ruxer, 24, went 4-8, 3.08 in 29 appearances at two Class A levels last season.

• Jack Lopez, a career .222 hitter in five minor league seasons, was hitting .295 in 20 games in the Puerto Rican League. He played second base, shortstop, third base and left field in 83 games last season with Double-A Northwest Arkansas.